Total eclipse of moon can be seen all over Monday

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LOS ANGELES: If rain, clouds or fog don't obscure the midnight sky Monday night, a dramatic total eclipse of the moon will be well worth staying up late to watch - in the Bay Area and across the nation.

Lunar eclipses are by no means uncommon, but during this one the moon will be high in the sky, so it should be easily observable from everywhere, said Andrew Fraknoi, chairman of astronomy at Foothill College in San Mateo.

"It's a really democratic event," he said, "because you don't need an expensive telescope or any other sophisticated equipment to enjoy the spectacle - just your eyes or, if you like, a pair of binoculars."

The moon is always full during an eclipse, and for astronomers, this one actually starts at 9:55 p.m. Monday, when the full moon enters the pale outer fringe of Earth's shadow, called the penumbra. The dimming, though, will be so faint it can't be observed by ordinary folk.

By 10:33 p.m., the moon's edge will move into the inner shadow of Earth, called the umbra, and during that time of partial eclipse, watchers will see Earth's shadow creeping slowly across the bright lunar surface. By looking closely, it's apparent that the edge of the shadow is actually curved, which to ancient Greek observers proved that Earth is indeed round.

At 11:41 p.m., the lunar eclipse will be total as the moon will have moved entirely inside the Earth's shadow. That sight can be spectacular: refraction of the sun's light by the Earth's atmosphere will color the moon's surface unpredictably, and during past eclipses it has appeared a deep bronze or blood red or even a dark yellow.

Totality ends at 12:53 a.m. Tuesday, and the last of the partial eclipse finishes at 2:01 a.m.

Two Bay Area institutions have announced public events for the eclipse.

The Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland will be open from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. for its Midnight Delight, rain or shine. If the sky is clear, visitors can watch the eclipse from the observatory's deck and through its major telescopes. A simulated eclipse will be shown in the Chabot planetarium, and astronomers will explain the event to visitors.

The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley will be open from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and will also offer a planetarium show, telescope viewing and explanations by astronomers and veteran eclipse enthusiasts.